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Fighting Overseas While Fires Burn at Home
When I was deployed to Iraq in 2003, I saw the worry on the faces of the soldiers in my National Guard platoon as they heard the news of Hurricane Isabel barreling toward their homes in the Florida panhandle. This week, Marines deployed to Iraq out of Camp Pendleton must have felt the same fear and anger, watching wildfires creep towards their homes in Southern California.
Firefighters and National Guard troops at last seem to be getting the upper hand in the battle against California's wildfires, which have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres and displaced half a million people. Our service members and first responders have once again shown their unflagging dedication and courage in times of crisis. But because of our military commitments in Iraq, they have been forced to combat these blazes without adequate personnel or equipment. State and military officials, in California and elsewhere, have warned for years that our National Guard is no longer ready to respond to a major disaster. As Congress considers new emergency supplemental funding for Iraq, we cannot afford to ignore the compromising effect of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on our homeland security.
California's National Guard faced this year's wildfire season with fewer troops and fewer trucks. At least 1500 of the state's citizen soldiers are currently serving as a part of the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Early this summer, both Governor Schwarzenegger and California Guard officials expressed concerns that a truck shortage at home would impede a rapid response to serious wildfires. But this drain of domestic military resources is not unique to California.
According to Lt. General Blum, chief of the National Guard, the reserve component is facing the worst state of readiness in 35 years. Between 2003 and 2005, the Army National Guard left $1.2 billion worth of gear overseas. As a result, 88% of unmobilized National Guard units are considered by the Defense Department to be very poorly equipped. In March, the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves warned that the Guard's equipment readiness substantially impedes our response to domestic crises.
State officials across the country have tried to draw attention to the threat. As early as 2003, Oregon National Guard officials said that the Iraq War deployments would limit their ability to respond to forest fires. Earlier this year, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius said her state's response to devastating summer tornados were delayed because of vehicles shortages. This situation is so dire that, in 2006, all 50 governors signed a letter calling on President Bush to ensure the National Guard is re-equipped.
Solving our readiness crisis is not as simple as a blank check for military procurement, however. Even if every National Guard and Reserve unit in the country had all the equipment they needed, the war in Iraq would still be a major drain on our military personnel. When Hurricane Katrina hit, for instance, one-third of the Louisiana and Mississippi National Guard were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Unfortunately, many of troops sent to Iraq from the National Guard and Reserves are those most needed for emergencies back home. 70 percent of the Army engineering units and almost all of the civil affairs soldiers are in the National Guard and Reserve. These troops have the skills needed to rebuild a country in ruins, but they are also our first line of defense when a natural disaster destroys American infrastructure.
Last week, President Bush requested an additional $45 billion in "emergency" funding to bankroll the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This money would bring the total cost of the wars to about $650 billion so far. After years of war, the operating costs of our mission in Iraq and Afghanistan should be predictable. On the home front, however, we are facing real emergencies. Keeping our first responders overseas raises the risks we face here at home when natural disaster strikes.
And there is another looming threat. Many have made the argument that we are "fighting over there so we do not have to fight them over here." But what if we have to do both? The overextension of our military slows our response not only to hurricanes, tornados and fires. It could also hinder our reaction to another terrorist attack on our soil.
Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), is the author of ''Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq: A Soldier's Perspective."
Follow Paul Rieckhoff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulRieckhoff
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The war is not about national security. The war is not even about oil. The war is about ammassing power to the 'Unitary Executive'. It is about Cheney's wet dream of an America ruled by one man for the benefit of the Republican party. Unchecked and absolute power is his goal. Others may believe what they wish. Maybe the preznit even believes the BS about 'democracy in the middle east'. All the better for Cheney. A zealous puppet is all the better. So when you hear the preznit gripe about how 'The Troops' need this or that and Congress MUST give him the money, well, the money is not important. It's bending congress to his will and establishing that the preznit does not need congress to fund a war or snoop on the population or render civilians to Gitmo. It's demonstrating that the preznit calls the shots and we all just better dance to his tune.....or else. It's 1984. They're just a little behind schedule.
Paul, thank you for the great work you do on veteran's health issues.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that California's National Guard is down by about 5000 people since 10 years ago, while other states are meeting their recruitment goals. One reason given for this is that CA is the only state of 50 that doesn't offer tuition benefits.
Shouldn't you mention this when you write about CA being low on available National Guardsmen?
We can't afford SCHIP for kids that are in the range above the very poor who get Medicaid and the ones who have rich parent who can afford the horror of a child's illness that would bankrupt a middle class family. We have roads and bridges in sorry need fo fixing. We have so many needs at home while Bush and CO (Haliburtin for the uninformed) demands even more money for wars we didn't need to make. All the while someone makes the mistake to fly nukes over our heads and a practice bomb flies out of a B 18 over VA. The dead and maimed from the war of bushes making are not getting their due of money for loss or proper care. Our soldiers fight and die next to the guy buying his second vacation home in the tropics while being a private "soldier". As long as the fear makes it's rounds in congress and no one has a strong enough spine to actually stand up to these who have stolen from us it will go on and on until we are no longer a country of freedoms.
Every soldier makes a sacrifice by leaving his home to be deployed overseas. Those from San Diego certainly may have a different type of concern than others, but you should not ignore the fact that every soldier's sacrifice is meaningful. I think the way you hype this very narrow component of that sacrifice is a mistake, and that it cheapens the other sacrifices being made by every man and woman deployed overseas.
Where is Napoleon when you need him?
Come on, Paul, don't you realize our national guardsmen are desperately needed to secure those foreign oil fields for Bush and Cheney's oil baron buddies? Just imagine those poor folks without their multiple homes, private jets, fine mistresses, and gourmet meals and a few thousands destroyed homes pale in comparison.
If we can afford our belligerent foreign policies why do we need to borrow money to do it?
Bush and Cheney are addicts of CREDIT CARDS. They borrow money to buy THEIR own colony, IRAQ. They don't care. Our children, and grand'childrenn and great grand'children, and... will pay.
Once again, we should remind ourselves of the words of General of the Army (and President) "Ike" Eisenhower ... a man who knew both the politics and the military from personal experience. He saw this coming, in 1961.
"The military" is the ultimate sink of money and, as such, the ultimate SOURCE as well. When we see that the government spends hundreds of billions on war ... and won't spend an equivalent amount, say, on Katrina or wildfires or education or what have you ... there is a reason.
With military spending, the folks who authorize the spending wind up taking home the lion's share of it. The President, hundreds of members of Congress, and even several members of the Supreme Court are all multi-millionaire businessmen in their "other lives," and military spending is the cause and source of it.
Did you ever stop and think who OWNS, say, Blackwater?
We should remind ourselves also of stories like that of King Midas or King Tantalus (the source of our word, "tantalize"). Or the simple proverb that "the love of money is the root of all evil."
But, as a nation, we can neither afford to "just sit by and wring our hands," nor are we in any way obliged to do so. Fierce provisions for impeachment and expulsion are on the books, waiting to be used. And, I submit, it is UNLAWFUL not to use them.
Our refusal to timely enforce our own laws is the root of the misfortunes of hundreds of millions of Americans, and for what? For the benefit of a few thousand? Whose country is this, anyway??
Ike Eisenhower understood how the MIC was siphoning off money into their pockets under the guise of being "patriotic." The plan was to have Richard Nixon continue the "system" but JFK was elected. JFK was considering pulling out of Vietnam. On the tapes in the Presidential archives, McNamara stated to JFK, "We only have just under 1,000 guys in there and we can still get out." When JFK decided to pull out and place covert CIA operations under control of the DOD, he was not popular with the MIC or the CIA. I remember to this day the call for his assassination because I was from Nixon's home town. His death was no surprise to me.
I almost lost my house last week because of the shortage of equipment and personnel. How many people need to die before people are willing to see that some corporations are more interested in money that our safety? Ike told us. People just can't handle the truth.
As Deepthroat said, "Follow the money." Even Duncan Hunter stated that, "a private contract for firefighting prevents (him) from getting in military equipment to fight fires." Choppers can fly in high winds. Fixed wings could have been used, according to the Fire Chief. Oh well, FEMA created their own press conference so the facts were not released, as per usual.
I believe that we are fighting them over there so that we don't have to fight over here to eliminate corruption in government.
Paul, the Vets need you to fight for them. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.
Paul, as usual you are right on. thank you for the work you do for us Vets. these criminals in the Whitehouse are still trying to dismantel Our Country and, doing a good job of it.
I have an additional comment on this one,
fighting fire means human intervention to
do something to stop burning stuff from
burning anymore. One Great Way to Do That
would be to figure out how to use all
this modern newfangled technologyererer
to transport Large Quantities Of Seawater In
A Short Period Of Time To The Desired Location,
And Then Dump It Unceremoniously Onto The
Hot Burning Things, Causing Them To Extinguish,
And Smell Vaguely Of Anchovy Piss. Now,
battering back the flames by hand may seem
Manly And Heroic, but it might not be Very Smart. Maybe someone needs to give South Korea
a call, and get in contact with whatever they've
got for functional, educated engineers, they
build those large ships and stuff, so, call
em up and see if they've got any ideas
on moving lots of ocean water quickly. Or,
give Japan a call, maybe they can build
a Transformer or something...asbestos-coated
Aibos? Hmmm...
To me nobody has more credibility than Mr. Rieckhoff on military issues. Thanx for this and all posts and thanx to Huffpo for providing the forum.........tm
It's one thing to have crooked career politicians disregard the oath they took to defend The Constitution, Paul, but something entirely different when graduates of the various military academies do likewise, and then also throw out the window ALL they ever knew or learned of honor. They lead commands of young, 'anxious to please', kids to go paint IED targets on themselves, while looking them in the eye and telling them it's for both the USA and the Iraqi people. Uh huh...
But I ALSO know that most of those officers actions that're 'for career' are not all that different from my own, "Yes, sir", performed on the job. Then, seeking really ONLY to serve OUR nation and a 'greater good', the engineer that builds the laser, or the Sargeant that trains a platoon, is NOT the criminal compared to those that ordered the intentional use on innocents, especially for geopolitical reasons.
The World and OUR country HAS taken notice of who's been tried for war crimes and torture here, and how those that ordered it to happen are not even being investigated.
Dude,
Blaze prompts evacuations from Camp Pendleton
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/25/news/coastal/2_02_5610_24_07.txt
Paul; We all know that the "wars" are draining out resources here, eliminating our capacity to truly support America..but isn't that the intension of the Terrorists? That is not your fight anyway, please get back to proper funding for the severely wounded Vets. As we speak groups are meeting in Washington to try and find solutions to the rehab of the thousands of Brain injured and PTSD. Those issues are now your war. With all of the commissions that have been formed, the results are just expensive talk with no solutions. We still do not have cooperation between DOD and the VA. We still do not have enough qualified doctors to treat the brain injured (more Social Workers is not going to help..), Mind altering drugs are still being given without knowing the results, knowledgable assistance to fight the maze of bureaucratic paperwork is still not provided, and too many are finding their way home with no future. I never thought I would ask a lobbyist to get back to work...but get back to what you do best!!
1. I am not a lobbyist.
2. The overextension of our military impacts our troops, veterans and military families--this is an issue IAVA will and must be vocal about.
3. We are extremely involved regarding PTSD and TBI. I urge you to check out www.iava.org.
4. And feel free to make a donation to support our work.
Thanks.
Paul; I have not only given to IAVA, but to various DAV Sports, AVBI, rehab, and caregiver support groups. I also have a very personal agenda!! Our family has been personally affected by Soldier's causes from the Nuke tests in Utah, Vietnam, the first Iraq war, and now this one. I am a Air Force brat, A career Army wife of a Vietnam Vet, and the Aunt of a brain injured soldier. Serious conditions have gone from Leukemia from Nukes tests in the 50's, to Agent Orange, to now brain injury. I did not mean to insult you by calling you a lobbyist. You do good work, being vocal to Congress is pro-active for this cause...and you do that well. You are also paid to support the Veterans, this is not to be ashamed of..paid advocates for any cause are lobbyist.
Paul; I have not only given to IAVA, but to various DAV Sports, AVBI, rehab, and caregiver support groups. I also have a very personal agenda!! Our family has been personally affected by Soldier's causes from the Nuke tests in Utah, Vietnam, the first Iraq war, and now this one. I am a Air Force brat, A career Army wife of a Vietnam Vet, and the Aunt of a brain injured soldier. Serious conditions have gone from Leukemia from Nukes tests in the 50's, to Agent Orange, to now brain injury. I did not mean to insult you by calling you a lobbyist. You do good work, being vocal to Congress is pro-active for this cause...and you do that well. You are also paid to support the Veterans, this is not to be ashamed of..paid advocates for any cause are lobbyist.
What a toxic concoction the guys in Washington have mixed together. The varsity team Republicans and the farm club Democrats. First, ignore any and all signs that we might be in for more disasters of the SoCal fires and Katrina ilk, as the natural world struggles to adjust to humanity's enormous footprint. Steps to protect the environment are, after all, "bad for business". Then, do whatever it takes to secure a stake in the oil reserves of the Middle East, pay any price in blood and treasure, because that oil over there keeps us "in business". Finally, outsource the tasks of our overextended military to mercenary armies, because the military should be run "like a business".
Such a business!
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